India-Portugal Joint S&T Call 2020

Within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 between the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Government of India, and the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education of the Portuguese Republic, a call for joint scientific research and technological development projects is launched to provide financial support for joint research and innovation activities carried out by scientists from both parties.

The aim of this joint call is to support the development of scientific and technological cooperation between Indian and Portuguese researchers and to strengthen the scientific partnership between research groups from each party by establishing bilateral research networks, enhancing research cooperation and promoting the exchange of knowledge between Indian and Portuguese scientists.

DST and FCT invite Indian and Portuguese researchers to submit joint proposals for research, carried out by scientists from both parties. Qualifying scientific applicants from India and Portugal may receive research grants from DST and FCT, respectively, according to the applicable funding procedures and regulations.

1. BENEFICIARIES
The following are individual or co-promotion beneficiaries:
Non-entrepreneurial entities of the R&I system, namely:
a. Higher education institutions, their institutes and R&D units;
b. State or international laboratories with head office in Portugal;
c. Non-profit private institutions whose main object is R&D activity;
d. Other non-profit public and private institutions developing or participating in scientific research activities.
From the Portuguese side, companies of any type and under any legal form if included in SR&TD projects led by non-entrepreneurial entities from the R&I system. From the Indian side, industrial partners are welcome to participate in kind/ cash but funding will be granted to their academic partners.

2. TYPOLOGY AND PROJECT MODALITY TO SUPPORT
This call aims to support scientific research and technological development (SR&TD) Projects addressed to scientific questions or original and relevant concepts, with reference to international standards, which contribute significantly to the advancement of knowledge and which result in indicators of achievement of scientific production in the course of the project. Proposals are accepted in the following scientific domains:
• Biotechnology,
• Energy,
• Environment,
• Infrastructure Sustainability,
• Climate Change,
• Disaster Management,
• Marine Science & Technology.
"All projects related to S&T solutions against COVID-19/ Pandemic which falls under the above given subjects will be encouraged and considered".
• Other areas could be added by mutual consent between the coordinating agencies.

The projects will have a maximum duration of 36 months extendable, for a maximum of 12 months, in duly justified cases.

The maximum funding limit per project is EUR 100.000 from Portuguese side and funding for matching activities in Indian Rupees from the Indian side.

FORM OF SUPPORT AND FUNDING FEE
The Indian side would provide Grant-in-Aid support on approved activities to academic/ R&D organizations/ institutes on the Indian side as per Govt. financial rules (GFR). From the Portuguese side, the support to be granted under this call will be non-refundable form, in accordance with Article 7 of the Regulation on Projects Funded Solely by National Funds (hereafter, FCT Project Regulation). The projects will be fully funded by national funds through the FCT budget. As provided for in Article 7(2) of the FCT Project Regulation, payments made to participating companies, as beneficiaries, will be made through the Project's Proposing Institution and may not be exceed 50% of the total cost of the company's stake and, in the event of non-compliance with the thresholds applicable to Minims Aid, must comply with the conditions laid down in the General Category Exemption Regulation (GBER).

FUNDING BUDGET
The overall funding available under the present Call for EUR 1.000.000 from the Portuguese side and funding for matching activities in the Indian Rupees from Indian side.

CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY OF PROJECTS AND BENEFICIARIES
From the Indian side:
1. Scientists/Faculty Members working in a regular capacity in recognized universities/deemed universities, academic institutes and national research & development laboratories/ institutes can apply as Principal Investigator (PI). One CO-PI is mandatory to be part of the Indian team from the proposed project. However, the number of CO-PI may be more than one as per the rationale of project objectives and desired expertise.
2. The Indian PI should not be retiring during the proposed duration of the project.
3. The Indian scientists who are involved in any capacity in the implementation of two or more ongoing projects (not expected to be completed by December 2020), is supported by the international division of DST are not eligible to be a member of the research team.
4. The proposal should include research partners as PI and CO-PI from Portugal research institutes/ universities with clear demarcation of objectives to be carried out by both research teams.
5. In order to qualify for such funding, investigators are required to have a concrete and sound research proposal targeting the interest of both nations on any of the above-mentioned research areas.

EXPENSES AND LIMITS TO YOUR ELIGIBILITY
From the Indian side, a realistic budget for manpower, minor equipment and spare, consumables, travel expenses (for exchange visits), contingency, etc. may be proposed under the project. It is expected that participating Indian institutes themselves make provision for the use of required major equipment. The Indian side will cover all costs relating to visits of members of the Indian investigator in the Portuguese Republic. Economy class return ticket via the shortest route, silver class medical insurance and per diem as per DST norms will be allowed under exchange visits. The Portuguese side foresees to bear all costs relating to visits of members of the Portuguese investigator in India. Researchers are also encouraged to explore part contribution from industries in case of applied research. From the Portuguese side, and considering the Article 8 of the FCT Project Regulation, the following expenses are eligible in this call:

a) Direct costs: i. Expenses with human resources dedicated or related to the development of R&D activities related to the project execution in all mandatory components by the applicable labor legislation, including charges with grant holders directly supported by the beneficiaries.

In employment contracts, expenditure is based on the costs incurred with the completion of the project, with the reference of the monthly base salary declared for the purposes of social protection of the worker, which may be increased by compulsory social burdens, food allowance and occupational accident insurance in legally defined terms.

The basis salary shall be deemed to be the set of all right and permanent remuneration subject to tax taxation and declared for the purposes of social protection of the worker. There are no eligible expenses with attendance passwords or compensatory compensation for the expiry of employment contracts and deliveries relating to the Labour Compensation Fund. The amount of the food allowance exceeding the maximum limit allocated to the Public Administration is not eligible.

The award of scholarships under the projects is the subject of tendering and contractualization by the beneficiary entities, in accordance with the provisions of the Statute of the Research Grant (Law No. 40/2004 of August 18, in their current drafting) and the FCT Research Scholarship Regulation. For the purposes of determining personnel costs related to the implementation of the project, the following methods may apply:
• reimbursement of the costs actually incurred and paid;
• simplified calculation methodology based on the application of an hourly rate, calculated by dividing gross annual costs with the most recent work, duly documented, by 1,720 hours;
• standard cost methodology in the case of expenses with research grantees, based on the reference values provided for in the FCT Research Scholarship Regulation, for the different types of R&D activities carried out.

ii. Expenses with missions in the country and abroad, and directly attributable to the project, complying with the legal regulations governing the realization of public expenditure, in particular at Decreto-Lei No. 106/98 of April 24 and Decreto-Lei No. 192/95 of July 28, in its regulations in force; iii. Acquisition of scientific and technical tools and equipment, indispensable to the project if used within the project during their useful lifetime;
iv. Amortization of scientific and technical tools and equipment indispensable to the project and of which the useful lifetime falls within the execution period, but does not end within that period;
v. Subcontracts directly related to the project scientific tasks’ execution;
vi. Expenses related to the national and foreign record of patents, copyrights, usefulness models and drawings, national models or brands when related to other forms of intellectual protection, namely rates, researches to the status of the technique and consulting expenses;
vii. Expenses with the demonstration, promotion and disclosure of project’s outputs, namely dissemination fees within the fulfilment and pursuant to national policies of open access;
viii. Adaptation of buildings and facilities when indispensable to the project execution for environmental and safety reasons, limited to a maximum of 10% of the total eligible expenditure of the project;
ix. Acquisition of other goods and services directly related to the project execution, including costs with consultants that do not establish subcontracts;
b) Indirect costs, calculated on the basis of simplified costs, based on the application of the fixed rate of 25% of direct eligible costs, excluding subcontracting.

PAYMENTS AND JUSTIFICATION OF EXPENSES
From the Indian side, the Indian side will grant the fund annually based on the progress report of a particular project. From the Portuguese side, considering articles 20 and 21 of the FCT Project Regulation, the initial advance of the project will be 15% of the approved financing. The justification of expenses must be made by submitting electronic listings of the expenses paid in its own form made available by FCT in the Science and Technology Portal.

SELECTION METHOD
Proposals considered eligible will be evaluated by both Parties and subsequently analyzed in a joint meeting in the Joint Selection Committee, composed of elements from FCT and DST, and those that are the subject of an agreement between the two institutions will be considered for funding. In addition to the scientific evaluation, other criteria may be considered in the joint decision such as the distribution by scientific domains, geographic areas of the research teams, gender balance, among others.
Both parties will simultaneously announce the list of jointly funded projects.
The methodology of selection and hierarchization of research projects is based on the Project Merit indicator (MP) that is based on the following criteria:
A. Scientific merit and innovative nature of the project from an international standpoint in the scientific area and within the goals of the call;
B. Scientific merit of the research team;
C. Feasibility of the work plan and reasonability of the budget;
D. Contribution to the knowledge accumulation and competencies of the National Scientific and Technological System in the scientific areas of the call, to the feasibility of their application to improve the goals of the call, and merit of the demonstration, promotion and disclosure of the project’s outputs with interest of both nations.

The merit of the project is obtained through:
Merit of the Project (MP) = 0,50 A + 0,20B + 0,10C + 0,20

From the Indian side, the assessment would be made on a scale between 1 and 10 (integers).
From the Portuguese side, the scores of the criteria are assigned on a scale between 1 and 9 (integers), and the MP result is rounded to the hundredth. Each eligible proposal will be evaluated by two relevant experts designated by DST and two relevant experts designated by FCT.

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

For the Portuguese side
Applications must be submitted in English until June 30 2020 (17h00 Lisbon time), in its own electronic form through FCT's Science and Technology Portal.

Applications are composed of the electronic form, the project tasks timing file (required annex), and the description of the Indian research team (required annex – model available in FCT website). Only the financing requested for Portuguese teams must be submitted on the form (mac. EUR 100.000),

The digitalization of the Declaration of Commitment of each application (signed by the Researcher in Charge (RC) and Proposing Institution (PI) must be submitted in a single PDF document in the FCT's Science and Technology Portal by July 15, 2020 (17h00 Lisbon time).

For the Indian side
Indian applicants must submit online proposals to DST through the e-application system provided at www.onlinedst.gov.in on or before the closing date i.e. June 30 2020 (17h00 Lisbon time) with a copy to sharma.jyoti@nic.in. The following documents need to be uploaded with the project.
1. Description of available research resources, including short CV’s of research team members and inventory of relevant equipment.
2. Certificate for Conflict of interest (Indian PI, available on onlinedst.gov.in) 3. Letter of Agreement for all kinds of cooperation, signed by all PIs and duly forwarded by the Head of the host institutes
4. Declaration from the Indian PI about ongoing projects under the International Division of DST.

Indian PIs are also required to submit 03 hard copies (including 1 original) along with a softcopy in a single pdf file (not scanned) to undersigned before or on July 15, 2020 (17h00 IST):

Dr. Jyoti Sharma
Scientist E
International Bilateral Cooperation Division
Department of Science and Technology
Ministry of Science and Technology
Technology Bhawan
New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi – 110016
India
E. Mail: sharma.jyoti@nic.in

To avoid last-minute load on the system, applicants are encouraged to apply well in advance. Please note email queries regarding this call would be entertained till June 15, 2020.